Apparatus and method for investigating chemical entities

A method comprising:

• positioning a sliding separator along a plurality of IR-transmitting optical fibers, wherein a change in the relative position of the sliding separator along the fibers alters a separation therebetween, wherein the alterable separation facilitates the engagement of the optical fibers with individual samples disposed in wells of any one of a variety of different-sized sample plates having different spacing between the wells;
• contacting the first end of a first one of the optical fibers with a first sample within one of the wells, wherein the contact introduces a chemical entity and a binding compound to each other, thereby resulting in a first binding interaction;
• and
• conducting a first thermal signal resulting from the first binding interaction to a thermal sensor through said at first IR-transmitting optical fiber.

A method comprising:

• positioning a movable separator along a plurality of IR-transmitting optical fibers to obtain a desired spacing between adjacent IR-transmitting optical fibers at a sampling end thereof;
• generating a thermal signal from a binding interaction between a protein and a binding compound, wherein the thermal signal is generated proximal to the sampling end of at least one of the IR-transmitting optical fibers;
• and
• conducting the thermal signal through at least one of said IR-transmitting optical fibers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a plurality of IR-transmitting optical fibers each having a first end and a second end;
• a sensor for sensing IR, wherein the sensor is in IR-sensing contact with the first end of each of the optical fibers;
• and
• a sliding separator, wherein the separator engages the plurality of fibers and is slideable therealong to alter a separation therebetween, wherein the alterable separation facilitates the engagement of the optical fibers with individual samples disposed in wells of any one of a variety of different-sized sample plates having different spacing between the wells.